Washington

There are signs of optimism in the Western Balkan, but the countries in the region are not closer to becoming part of the European Union, despite the bloc's investments, said Migration Minister Dimitris Kairidis on Tuesday. 

Whatever the result of the US elections in November this year, relations between Washington and Athens will remain strong, US Assistant Secretary for Energy Resources Geoffrey Pyatt said during a group discussion at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) think tank in Washington, DC on Monday.

Bulgaria's Finance Minister, Asen Vassilev, engaged in discussions with Scott Nathan, the executive director of the U.S. Development Finance Corporation (DFC), during his visit to Washington.

The chairman and CEO of Greece's power utility company PPC's presented the company's plans to penetrate the region of the Western Balkans and the Southeast Mediterranean to the US Assistant Secretary for Energy Resources Geoffrey Pyatt at a meeting in Washington on Monday.

Bitcoin spiked above $50,000 yesterday for the first time in more than two years as investors grow optimistic that U.S. approval of broader trading in the unit will ramp up demand.

Israel faced growing international pressure on Tuesday to agree to a ceasefire with Hamas, as it prepared for an incursion into the southern Gaza city Rafah where more than a million Palestinians are trapped.

Jordan's King Abdullah II appealed for a full ceasefire to end the Gaza war after talks with Joe Biden, striking a discordant note with the U.S. president who is seeking a shorter six-week pause to give Israel time to defeat Hamas.

As Greece steadily becomes a crucial part of the geopolitical puzzle in the East Med and the Balkans, with tangible contributions to the political, military and energy developments in the region, a presentation and analysis of its role to the decision makers in Washington can only prove useful to all.

Britain on Monday announced sanctions on four "extremist Israeli settlers" accused of committing human rights abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank, following a similar move by the United States earlier this month.

Erdogan finally approved Sweden's NATO bid a few weeks ago. With the Biden administration green-lighting the F-16 sale in return, Washington now seems to be employing a new approach of positive reinforcement with Ankara.